In 1766, the Swedish Diet passed the Press Freedom Act, making Sweden the first country in the world to provide constitutional protection to both the principles of press freedom and freedom of information.
The Enlightenment’s emphasis on science, progress, tolerance and rationality attracted not only philosophers, but how do you incorporate the enlightenment’s revelations without undermining the traditions and ideas that legitimate absolute rule in the first place?
After a brief detour into the present on our last episode, we return to the Enlightenment in 18th century Europe, as rationality and secularization sweep through the continent turning tradition and authority upside down.
On the 30th anniversary of the bloody culmination of the Chinese government’s Tiananmen massacre of pro-democracy students and activists, all public discussion and memories of the massacre have been erased within China itself.
The Oslo Freedom Forum is a unique gathering of human rights and democracy activists from all over the world joining forces to connect, share ideas, and build alliances to strengthen freedom and undermine authoritarianism.
In 1787, the newly authored U.S. Constitution was sent out to the states for ratification. Despite fierce objections from Anti-Federalists, the Constitution did not include a bill of rights protecting freedom of speech and the press.
